Apparatus for regulating street traffic.



l. G. WALLMANN.

APPARATUS FOR REGULATING STREET TRAFFIC.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20I I914.

Patented May 23, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WTE J,

WITNESSES 1J6. WALLIVIANN.

APPARATUS FOR REGULATING STREET TRAFFIC.

APPLICATION FILED IVIAY 20I I914.

Patented May 23 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES Speciflcati Lei-s lPatent. I Patented May 23, 121%.

Application filed. May 20, 1914. fierial No. 839,821.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHANN Gr. WALL- MANN, a citizen of the United States, resid-- ing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Regulating Street Trafic, of which the followmg is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for regulating street traflic.

The object of my invention is to provi e improved apparatus for regulating stre ttraflic whereby the trafiic may be readi y controlled by a police-officer by pressing certain push-buttons as hereinafter explained, signs bearing the words Stop and Move being exhibited as signals for the re ulation of the trafii'c, and which is simp e in construction and instantly responsive to impulse for its operation, and not liable to become disarranged in such operation.

The said apparatus has other advantages which will hereinafter appear.

My invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a detail of ,the mechanism of said apparatus, parts thereof being shown in section. Fig. 2 shows my street-traffic semaphore mounted and in position of stop with an arm raised. Fig. 3 represents a signal of the apparatus in the position of .move. Fig. 4 is a detail of a part of the apparatus for illuminating signals at night.

In the drawings a housing for the apparatus, preferably of cast iron is indicated by the numeral 1. The apparatus is provided with a cylinder 2 containing a piston 3 provided with a rod 4. A compression chamber 6 is provided with a pipe 7 communieating therewith having a branch pipe communicating therewith provided with check valves and 85, said branchpipe communicating with cylinder 2. Beneath said cylinder 2 a wound field magnet 8 is positioned supported by a field bracket 9 and under said field magnet a laminated core having field windings 11 is positioned. A combination conduit and signal arm 49 having a bearing 47 is positioned between two rollers 12 shown in dotted lines. A guide rod extends below the housing 1 and through able by armature 81.

guide bearing 65. A bumper spring 14 is positioned within the housing 1, being penetrated by the guide rod 15. The guide rod 15 supports counter-balance weights 16. Suitable contacts are shown at 17. Laminated armatures 18 and 81 are centrally supported by a shaft which works in guide bearings 80, a spring on said shaft being positioned between said bearings. A field magnet 19 is positioned opposite to and engageable by armature 18, and a wound field magnet 20 is placed opposite to and engage- A commutator is shown at 82 and 21, and 22 are feed wires communicating with parts of the apparatus as shown.

Additional curren'ttransmitting wires used 1n the apparatus 1 describe as follows: A wire 24 leads to push-buttons 27 and 28 and leads and 26 also communicate with said push-buttons .as shown. A lead wire 29 extends from the switching device at 98 to magnet 8. A tap Wire 30 leads to one of the brushes 45. 31 and 32 are wires extend- :ing from the switching device as shown to movable coil 11. 33 indicates a lead wire from the switching device to the coil 8, and 34 is a feeder Wire to light brushes 45. 35 represents a leader wire from field magnet 20 to brush as shown and a laminated armature is shown at 36, the same being engageable with field coil magnet 37. A piston valve 38 engages a downwardly projecting arm of armature 36, said armature being supported by said valve 38 as shown. A pipe 39 communicates with chamber 6 and valve 38, said valve having at its lower end a whistle 40. A wire 41 is connected to the lamps used in the apparatus, said wire being secured by binding post 42. 43 indicates a switch leg from the green lamp to the switching armature and 44 a switch leg from the red lamp to the switching armature. 46 indicates a fiber brush-bracket. A fiber commutator base is shown at 50. A suitable bracket 51 is provided for shutter rod .52. A bearing 53 is provided for stop shutter 54. 55 indicates a red glass panel and 56 a green glass panel. 59 is a panel blade preferably of metal supported by arm 49. Lamps are indicated by the numeral 60, and the lamp housing has an opening 61 at its bottom. The shutter 54 is connected as shown at 62, said shutter being shown raised to a horizontal position as in Fig. 4,

in which position the word Move is exposed, being locatedon the surface of blade 59, under said shutter 5.4, and at night the rays of light from the lamp 60 pass through the space indicated at 62illuminating the word Move. The two lamps used in the apparatus are separated by a partition 64. Wire from the magnet 37 extending to the commutator brush 45 is indicated by numeral 66. Insulated gaps on the commutator are as indicated by numeral 67. A metallic connector strip 68 is provided for said commutator. Various commutator se ments are indicated in the drawing as 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 78, and 79. A lead wire 69 con-- nects magnet 37 to feed wire 21. A stop 97 is provided for arm 49, operating on a pivot as shown at 47. The green glass 56 and the red glass 55 cover lamps 60 and 100as pressed air to shown. The wires 42, 43, and 44 run to lamps 60 and 100 as shown.

Feeder wires 21 and 22 being connected to the source of electrical supply, the instrument is r ady for operation. By pushing down on li utton 27 and holding it down the circuit is closed. The said circuit being from wire 22 over wire 24 through pushbutton 27, over wire 25; through coil 19 to opposite polarity wire 21, the current passing through coil 19 causes arm 18 to be pulled down. Contacts 17 coming into contact cause the current to pass through 0011 11 and coil 8 as follows: The current transmitted by wire 22 passes through contact 17 to the wire 31, through coil 11, through wire 32to contact 17, to wire 21. Simultaneously' the current passes through contacts 17 to wire 98, through coil 8, by wire 33, through contacts 17 to feed wire 21, and this causes the coil 11 to be drawn upward into the coil 8. Simultaneously a circuit is formed through wire 30 to brush 45, to metal segment 20, across jumper 68, back by brush 45, over wire 66, through coil 37, by wire 69 to feed wire 21. The current passing through coil 37 causes arm 36 to be drawn downwardly, causing the air valve 38 to be opened and allowing compressed air from cylinder 6 to pass through whistle 40 and thereby causing it to blow. As the coil 11 is drawn still farther upward, the armature is'carried up by the insulated section 71 passing under the first brush 45, and causing the circuit to be opened through the coil 37, and coil 37 releasing the arm 36 causes the valve 34 to be closed, stopping the whistle blow until the coil 11 is carried still farther within the coil 8 and the brush comes in contact with the segment 72, closing the circuit through the coil 37 again and opening valve 38, and causing comblow the whistle again. This upward movement of the armature coil 11 causes the piston 3 to compress the air in cylinder 2, drawing it into the compression cylinder 6, the compressed air being used to blow whistle 40. The upward movement of the armature 11 causes the semaphore arm 59 to be lowered, and the shutter 54 being raised in this movement causes the word Move to be shown, and the whistle being blown twice is a signal to move. When the blade 59 has been lowered, the lamp 60 behind the green glass 56 is lighted, and shown green. The commutator rising, puts brush 45 on segment 79, and closes the green lamp circuit as follows :-Feed wire 21, by way of wire 34, through brush 45, segment 79, wire 44, lamp 60, return wire 42, over wire 41 to part 22, thus completing the circuit. The switching device throws the current from the main line 21 and 22, through the magnets 8 and 11, and thus energizing them so that magnet 11 is drawn upwardly into magnet 8, thereby causing the blade shown to drop, this movement simultaneously blowing the whistle twice. Such blowing of the whistle is partly effected by the current passing over the wire 30 to the brush 45, then by segment to the segment 73 and from segment 72 to segment 73. The sounding of the whistle twice as mentioned is consequently caused as the piece 71 is insulated, the conductor wire 66 completing the circuit through coil 37, which is connected by wire 69 to the feed wire 21, the magnet pulling down on the arm 36 twice, causing the piston valve 38 to be opened twice also, allowing air to escape through the whistle 40, thereby causing it to give the signal of two sounds of the whlstle.

The compressed air for the operation of sounding is received from the chamber 6, it

havin'g been compressed by the upward movement of the piston 3 in the cylinder 2,

the air being forced through the check valves 85 into the pipe 7 to the compression chamher. As the piston 3 rises in the cylinder 2 it draws air through the lower check valve 5. As the semaphore blade drops, the shutter 54 containing the word Stop is raised until it reaches a transverse position. Under the shutter 54 and on the semaphore 7 panel is painted the word Move which is now exhibited in the proper position for a signal, while at night the lamp behind the green glass 56 is also illuminated. Such illumination is accomplished by means of the wire 42 and the switch leg 44 connected to the commutator segment 79, the brush 46 riding on this segment when it is high enough, closing the circuit through the lamp.

In the direction for moving four distinct signals for the attraction of attention are shown, to-wit: sound; light; a printed word, and motion. The bottom of the lamp housing or shade is open at 61, allowing the uncolored light rays to pass through the aperture 62 and illuminate the word Move at night. By pressing the button 28 for a suflicient time the semaphore blade is caused to rise, the shutter 54: being forced down by the rod 52, thereby displaying the word Stop, which at night is illuminated by the rays of the lamp under the red glass 55. Said lamp is fed by the common return wire 42 and the switch 1e 43 connected to the commutator segment 8. '][-he upward movement of said blade is caused. by the magnet drawing upwardly on the armature 81, causing the feed contacts on part 82 to come in touch with the up er contacts as shown, and these contacts throw the current in a reverse direction through the field 8 to that caused by the descent of the blade, and in the same direction through part 11 as formerly in causing the descent of such blade. The current connected in the way to accomplish the last mentioned movement causes a repulsion between parts 8 and 11-, causing part 11 to be forced downwardly, and carrying the semaphore blade upwardly and in the operation the semaphore arm 49 rides on the rollers 12. The blowing of the whistle once as the blade comes to the position for the exhibition of the sign Stop is accomplished in the following way :-The segment-74 being an insulated segment, the brush 45 rides on it until it comes into contact with the upper segment 75, which contact-closes the circuit through the coil 37 causing the armature 36 to be drawn down Wardly once" and allowing the air as compass through whistle 40.

p I claim:

-1. In 1 apparatus for. controlling street traliic, the combination with a housing, of a piston, a piston-cylinder, a magnet beneath and in connection with the said piston-cylinder, a laminated core and field windings supported by the rod of said piston, a coun tar-balance resiliently suspended beneath saldlaminated core, a compression-chamber in connection with the said piston cylinder,

an electrically actuated Whistle in. connection with compression chamber, a vertically acting commutator, means for electrically actuating said commutator, a commutator having" an arm' in connection therewith, said arm extending outwardly from said housing and being operable by movement of said piston, means for electrically actuating the commutator last mentioned, and a blade ter-balance resiliently suspended beneath saidlaminated core, a compression chamber in connection with the said piston cylinder,

.an electrically actuated whistle in connection with said compression chamber, a vertically acting commutator, means for electrically actuating said commutator, a commutator having an arm in connection therewith, said arm extending outwardly from i said housing and being operable by movement of said piston, means for electrically actuating the commutator last mentioned, a blade carrying a sign secured to the arm without said housing, and means for illuminating said sign.

3. In apparatus for controlling streettraflic, the combination with a housing, of a piston, apiston-cylinder containing said piston, a magnet beneath and in connection with said piston cylinder, a laminated core and, field windings surrounding said core supported by the rod of said piston, a counter-balance. resiliently suspended beneath said laminated core, a compression chamber in connection with said piston-cylinder, an electrically actuated whistle in connection with said compression chamber, a commutator in proximity to said compression chamber, means for electrically actuating supported by the rod of said piston, a counsaid commutator;'a commutator, having an arm extending within and without said housing in connection therewith; said arm having connection with said piston, means for electrically actuating the commutator last mentioned, a blade, carrying a movable sign, secured to said arm, means for raising and lowering said sign on movement of said blade, and means for illuminating said sign.

In testimony whereof ll aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHANN o. WALLMANN.

Witnesses:

J. J. SHERRY, D. J. TEEHAN. 

